On the hunt for Oregon truffles

The second course is Meyer Ranch hanger steak with provencale sunchokes, black truffle pinot noir sauce at the Oregon Truffle Festival held at Pfeiffer Vineyards.CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

The annual Oregon Truffle Festival is the brainchild of Leslie Scott and her husband, mycologist Charles LeFevre. This year's event was the sixth. Next year's will be held Jan. 27-29. For information, go to oregontrufflefestival.com.

Think truffles are limited to European soil? Guess again, my fungi-loving friends. I recently attended the Oregon Truffle Festival in Eugene and saw first-hand that the Pacific Northwest is teeming with the fragrant treasures.

Oregon truffles, the white variety and black, offer differing, hard-to-describe aroma profiles. The easier-to-find whites are sweetly musky, earthy with notes of cinnamon and vanilla. The Oregon blacks, buried deeper in the soil, have a musky scent that some say has green apple or pineapple overtones.

Some came to the festival to train their dogs to be truffle hunters. Some came to attend a growers forum and cultivation seminar. Some, which included me and 10 food-loving pals, came to eat and learn how to cook with truffles. And we wanted to experience the hunt.

With our guide, Toby Esthay, and his truffle-hunting dog, Appa, we gathered at the edge of a dense, Douglas fir forest in the Lorane Valley, about 20 miles southeast of Eugene. Armed with four-prong rakes and enthusiasm that bordered on euphoria, we followed Appa's nose into the dense trees in search of white truffles. Part black Lab, part beagle, the free-on-Craigslist dog quickly clowned his way to the first truffle. Appa pawed the duff with gusto, then dug, his white-tipped tail wagging like an overwound metronome. He knew a tiny chunk of cheese from Esthay's pocket would be his reward.

Esthay commanded Appa away from the spot and dug up the knobby, dirt-speckled prize with a well-worn soup spoon.

Some stayed with Appa, but most of us set out to search individually. Using our rakes, we pulled at the decaying leaves that lined the forest floor surrounding the tree trunks. We all found white truffles, but a gleeful holler was heard whenever someone found a really big one. Most had dime-size or nickel-size diameters, but some were almost silver-dollar bonanzas.

I think a big part of what fueled the fervor was the delectable, truffle-studded dishes we'd been consuming at the festival in the days before our hunt. Each meal offered irresistible dishes that showcased Oregon's truffle bounty.

One such feast took place in the Willamette Valley at Pfeiffer Winery, one of the oldest vineyards in Oregon. Pfeiffer's high-end, low-production pinot noir and pinot gris graced our menu, including its 2007 pinot noir that was served to President Obama at his pre-inaugural dinner.

John Sundstrom, named best chef – Pacific Northwest in 2007 by the James Beard Foundation, taught a truffle-centric cooking class before we sat down to devour the three-course lunch he prepared. The open kitchen in Pfeiffer's elegant villa was the stage. Beautifully dressed tables surrounded the kitchen on two sides, brightly lit by the unexpected January sunshine.

Sundstrom, chef and owner of Lark, the acclaimed restaurant in Seattle, started with a stunning amuse-bouche, Ricotta Gnudi with Butternut Squash and Oregon Black Truffles.

The oval gnudi, small gnocchi-like dumplings made primarily of ricotta (instead of potatoes), were augmented with Parmigiano-Reggiano, egg and grated Oregon black truffles. Once made into balls, they were rolled in semolina to form ovals.

While the gnudi quickly cooked in boiling water, he prepared the butternut squash-based sauce that would accompany them.

He explained that his stock, the backbone of the sauce, was flavored with the rinds of Parmigiano-Reggiano. He reserves the rinds and stores them in his freezer to use as needed. He uses the rinds much as he would chicken bones, cooking them with water, white wine, bay leaf, mirepoix (roughly chopped onion, celery and carrot), plus garlic and thyme. The whole shebang is strained before use.

For the sauce, he heated a little extra-virgin olive oil and softened some minced garlic until it was starting to turn golden. A splash of white wine, the cheese-rind stock and peeled-and-diced squash were added. It bubbled until the squash was tender. He added butter and chopped Italian parsley.

Tasting the sauce, he added salt and freshly ground black pepper. He pronounced the sauce "pretty great," in a way that brought a big laugh from the crowd. White doves caged at the back of the dining room joined in, their cooing setting the backdrop for even more laughter.

The second course is Meyer Ranch hanger steak with provencale sunchokes, black truffle pinot noir sauce at the Oregon Truffle Festival held at Pfeiffer Vineyards. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Robin Pfeiffer pours wine in the tasting room of his winery during the Oregon Truffle Festival stop at Pfeiffer Vineyards southwest of Junction City, Oregon. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Robin Pfeiffer discusses some of the finer points of enjoying wine during the Oregon Truffle Festival at Pfeiffer Vineyards southwest of Junction City, Oregon. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Debbie Katt takes a photo of the Pfeiffer Vineyards grounds before sitting down for lunch at the Oregon Truffle Festival. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Pam Sparks, from left, Chef John Sundstrom and Carlene Mitchell plate the first course of white salad of hearts of palm, endive, frisŽe with white truffles, Reggianno Parmigiano and John's goose prosciutto. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
While Sharon Hernandez, left, and Ida Rodriguez listen to the wine talk, as Debbie Katt and Kris Byron, right, try a Pinot Noir in the tasting room of Pfeiffer Vineyards. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Dessert course is profiteroles with black truffle cream and Theo dark chocolate at the Oregon Truffle Festival at Pfeiffer Vineyards. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
From upper left, clockwise, Kris Byron, Sharon Alms, Donna Waltz, Anita Davis, Cathy Thomas, Ida Rodriguez, Sharon Hernandez, Susan Ballou, Debbir Katt, Barbara Federman, Jane Noecker gather facing the forest before the hunt. COURTESY OF TOBY ESTHAY
Guests make their way down the hall leading from the tasting room at Pfeiffer Vineyards. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
David Edmonds of Vancouver, BC Canada pets vineyard dog Cooper during a tour of the Pfeiffer Vineyards. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
First course, white salad of hearts of palm, endive, frisŽe with white truffles, Reggianno Parmigiano and John's goose prosciutto. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Ida Rodriguez and Sharon Hernandez, both of Huntington Beach, are armed with their racks before the truffle hunt. CATHY THOMAS, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Debbie Katt, right, visits with the Pfeiffer Vineyards dog Cooper during a tour of the grounds. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Owner Robin Pfeiffer shows guests around the grounds of Pfeiffer Vineyards southwest of Junction City, Oregon. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Chef John Sundstrom, right, shows members of the tour how to make a gnudi appetizer in the kitchen area of Pfeiffer Vineyards recently during the Oregon Truffle Festival. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A gnudi appetizer at the Oregon Truffle Festival at Pfeiffer Vineyards. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Guests to the Oregon Truffle Festival sit down to dine at Pfeiffer Vineyards. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Robin Pfeiffer talks about wines in the tasting room of his winery during the Oregon Truffle Festival stop at Pfeiffer Vineyards. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Anita Davis shows off the large Oregon white truffle that she found on the hunt. CATHY THOMAS, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
A 2007 Pinot Noir was one of three wines enjoyed with dinner at the Oregon Truffle Festival at Pfeiffer Vineyards southwest of Junction City, Oregon. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Alessandro Mondello, left, talks about the pairing of truffles and wine. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Chef John Sundstrom, left, and his wife JM Enos plate a profiteroles with black truffle cream and Theo dark chocolate dessert. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Kris Byron, left, takes a picture of friend Jane Noecker, with Chef John Sundstrom after the afternoon meal at the Oregon Truffle Festival at Pfeiffer Vineyards. CHRIS PIETSCH, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER
Guide Toby Esthay explains the fine points of hunting for Oregon white truffles with his truffle-hunting dog Appa at his side. CATHY THOMAS, FOR THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER

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